A 250-pound black bear that picked a Falcon basement window well for a midday nap ended up getting a free ride out of the neighborhood on Tuesday, after Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers sedated the animal and relocated it to wilder ground. With help from the homeowner and neighbors, officers carried the sleeping bear through the house and into a wildlife trailer, then later gave it a wake-up drug at the release site, where it ran off into its appropriate habitat. No injuries were reported.
How Officers Pulled Off The Bear Move
According to the Denver Gazette, CPW Southeast Region officers immobilized the bear right in the window well, then carefully eased it through the basement window onto a stretcher. From there, they hauled the roughly 250-pound animal up the stairs and out to a waiting trailer. The outlet reports that officers said the bear had simply curled up and fallen asleep in the well and, at points, chose not to climb out even though it appeared strong enough to do it.
Neighbors Watched The Sleepy Intruder
Homeowner Kristen Nedbalek told the Colorado Springs Gazette that she and her neighbors spent a good amount of time just watching their uninvited guest through the glass. "I was just sitting in a chair watching it and I FaceTimed with my sister," she recalled. The paper reports the bear was estimated at 250 pounds and was ultimately transported for release about three hours southwest of Colorado Springs.
Video Shows The Tricky Extraction
Video released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and picked up by local TV stations shows the bear snoozing in the narrow window well and the slow, careful extraction that followed, as reported by KKTV. Multiple outlets note that CPW crews administered a reversal, or wake-up, drug after transport, then released the bear into a suitable habitat where it took off under its own power.
Why Wildlife Managers Say Spring Matters
Bears emerging in spring are hungry after hibernation, and wildlife experts say warm or dry winters can push them closer to people as they search for food in neighborhoods. KUNC has reported that Colorado's low snowpack and early warm temperatures this season could mean more bear sightings and more chances for encounters like this one. Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues to urge residents to secure trash, take down bird feeders, and follow BearWise guidance so bears stay wild, and conflicts stay low. The agency says its seasonal messaging and local grant programs are aimed squarely at reducing these human bear run-ins across the state.
The homeowners say they plan to hang on to photos of the unexpected house call as a reminder, and wildlife officials are using the close call to repeat some basic advice. Simple steps such as locking up garbage and removing bird feeders, they say, remain the best way to keep bears wild and neighborhoods safe. Residents living in bear country are also asked to report unusual bear activity or sightings to their local CPW office so officers can respond quickly when an animal wanders a little too close for comfort.
